Brave New World
by strictlyficly
Summary: She doesn't remember him and maybe it's for the best. But if she invited him into her life, he couldn't say he would be able to tell her no. Which is the exact reason he tries to keep as much distance as he possibly can. S8 AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is set after the s7 finale. Instead of Damon and Enzo taking off with Sybil, it was only Damon. Bonenzo never happened (apologies to the Bonenzo fans if you clicked). In this story Damon was resisting too much so she pulled something of a Thanos on him, but literally no one remembers him. Basically it's a mixture of s6 of Teen Wolf with the whole Stiles and Ghostriders plot, and Avengers Infinity War. Except instead of being taken, Damon is still around. It's just that no one remembers him. Also because Sybil is petty she set it up to where everything that happened because of Damon (both directly and indirectly) just never happened.**

**I have about four chapters, maybe more, maybe less depending on reception and editing, either way it's pretty much finished and will be posted regardless of numbers and traffic. While this story is going on; Tyler isn't a werewolf, his parents and uncle never died. Stefan still hit the full brakes on Caroline, she doesn't become a vampire. Sheila, Vicki and Lexi are all still alive. Beremy was never a thing. Katherine was never in the tomb and still let Stefan think she was after he was killed by his dad for trying to save her.**

**This is on pure speculation because of what I remember from Liz looking into the accident in s6? But Elena's parents didn't die in the bridge accident. My story's cannon is that Damon didn't intentionally cause their accident but Elena's dad saw him and swerved so he wouldn't run him over. Stefan heard the accident, attacked Damon but Damon got away and then Stefan saved them. Because Stefan is a vampire and could've saved them all at once if we're being real here. It works my nerves that it didn't happen. But for tvd being a thing in the first place it needed to happen, and we wouldn't be here if the author didn't acknowledge that in the first place so I digress.**

**Anyway I hope you enjoy it but if not thank you for clicking anyway.**

* * *

It's a bad idea.

This much he knows. A man his age hanging around a High School has to raise eyebrows. Earned some well deserved side eye but it wasn't done his first go round, and it has yet to be addressed this time as well. Really, he could kick the faculty's ass but it's saving him the trouble and he has a reason for his lurking this time. One that has nothing to do with torturing his brother, or forcing his way inside of a teenage girl's life.

But if she invited him, he couldn't say he would be able to tell her no.

Which is the exact reason he tries to keep as much distance as he possibly can.

And equally as such helping her with whatever he knows that she needs. It's not that he doesn't trust his brother. This version of Stefan Salvatore has no problem with his blood intake. Yet another screw you from Sybil and whoever she works under. He doesn't buy for one second that she has this much juice with the way she tried so hard to get him under her thumb. But this Stefan doesn't have the reach into the witch community that he had. Unlike Damon, Stefan never made a deal with Emily to make sure Katherine would one day be saved, but out of courtesy and respect for the Bennett witch did promise to look after her children until they no longer required it. Though by that time he had grown quite attached to a few here and there. Back in his world Damon had as well, fully took advantage of whenever there were Bennetts that welcomed him with open arms. Respected the ones who wanted nothing to do with him. Watched from the shadows and made sure that they were okay and stepped out when they were too close to the point of no return.

Admittedly he's ashamed that he didn't do the same circa Abby and even aided in Bonnie's downfall and tragedies. But when Stefan came into contact with Sheila he had thought that his brother would have taken the reins. Only to be disappointed to find out that that was not the case. Abby abandoning Bonnie after saving Elena and apparently passing that duty onto Bonnie.

As much as he would love to say that if he had seen the writing on the wall with Stefan post Sheila, and lingered around for those that followed after in his time, he can't say that he would have for sure once Elena Gilbert became a factor.

He watches as said girl steps out of the doors. Brown hair spilling down her back as she lets her head fall backwards, dramatically breathes in the fresh air and basks in the sun on her face, remnant of an inmate fresh out of county. But instead of staring at her he finds himself looking around until Bonnie struts out—because yes in his absence his little witch oozes confidence to the point where Elena openly admires her just as much as he and their peers do. With the exception of his brother who only has eyes for one. And Damon finds himself wondering why as this version of their—well Stefan's—ex girlfriend doesn't seem very different from Katherine. Elena isn't calculating or manipulative, but she's not the kind, warm, caring, doe eyed girl he fell for that made her a far cry from her ancestor.

Once Elena became a vampire, those traits slowly disappeared. He and his brother clinging onto the old her to rationalize their love for her and not Katherine. Admittedly he's beginning to figure that Katherine was right when she said that she and Elena weren't all that different. The only thing was that when it came to the Salvatores, Elena just did it better than she had.

But this Elena, the more he watches her, the more he finds himself thinking that it's a facade. For it seems that as soon as she's away from the school, far from those inside watching her every move like a hawk.

This Elena disappears.

The only people that see behind the mask are her parents, Jeremy, Bonnie and Stefan.

It's only when she's around them that he sees the girl he fell in love with. And the more he watches, he finds that this Elena—along with his own version—to be a smeared reflection of the girl that is always at her side. Not in the shadows as she is in his world but in this one, they're on fair ground. Everyone here sees Bonnie just as much as they see Elena and yet Bonnie is the same person both in public and in private. Only in the former, she doesn't walk around with her head down, content with being the sidekick. The only thing that fully distinguishes the two childhood friends dynamic from here and Damon's world is that Caroline Forbes tries where Bonnie and Elena don't.

Almost scarily so.

The blonde is equally as popular but she purposely dumbs herself down in the public eye. In private she rides Bonnie about her grades in Pre Calc and Physics, because who is she going to hang out with when they ditch this town for college in California? Strangers? And is constantly on Elena about cheer routines and History. The latter she's passed onto Stefan because who better to help than someone that has lived through it. Ignoring the fact that he can only help with the 1800s and after but he's better at holding the brunette's attention better than she can.

Stefan never responds to that point.

And Elena never attempts to argue.

It doesn't bother Damon as much as he thought it would.

What does bother Damon are the losers that Bonnie politely entertains. And he will never admit to having anything in relation to the one that mysteriously came up missing after an incident of not understanding the word "No,".

* * *

It's a weird thing to say but he likes watching them talk.

The way they finish each other's sentences, supplying what the other has failed to think of or successfully attempted to explain, the picking up on where the other dropped off. The abrupt jumping from one topic to the next and exchanging looks to continue their conversation in silence if they feel as if they need to keep it to themselves, away from prying ears.

It's something that he never got to see in his world and he feels guilty because he knows that this is what he had a hand in destroying. This is what kept Bonnie from ditching them all. Her loyalty and love for Elena wasn't always one sided.

Because when Elena is told of her adoption, instead of going to his brother she goes to Bonnie. And when Bonnie's Grams becomes sick it isn't Blondie that Bonnie calls in a panic before she climbs into the ambulance, it's Elena. When she finally leaves her Grams' side to get something from the vending machine, she finds Elena in the waiting room. Hair wild from sleep, clothed in an old hoodie with holes in the sleeves, sweat pants and mismatched sneakers. Several snacks that the brunette had raided for in her impatience piled in the seat next to her for Bonnie to indulge in.

"They wouldn't let me in because I'm not family." The brunette says snidely as she glares at the nurse who is pretending as if she hasn't heard or seen a thing. Wrapping her arms around Bonnie, holding her close allowing the young witch to break down and listens as Bonnie voices her worries for Sheila.

He even overhears his ex firmly telling Stefan that Bonnie is off limits when he needs a witch. And gives each the silent treatment when she finds out that Stefan and Bonnie—her going to Stefan doesn't get him off the hook, and the tidbit gets Bonnie on it—were behind the potential Gilbert device situation being settled before it began.

While Damon is happy that Elena and Bonnie are actually even in ready to fully go to bat for the other, it twists the knife.

Because Sybil's messing with him or not. Back in his world, he is the reason Bonnie only put on a show about rendering the Gilbert device useless.

* * *

He runs into her by accident one day. She stares at him for a moment then narrows her eyes and he braces himself as she begins to walk towards him. He's seen her interactions with his brother. Watched the evolution of their relationship as she went from untrusting to civil for Elena's sake to them genuinely being friends. And it seems that she's well acquainted with her powers from the way she doesn't shrink into herself in spite of sensing what he is. There's a look between distrust and questioning in her eyes as she sizes him up. Acknowledging that he is a threat but there's something that makes her doubt that it's directly to her.

Due to the frown on her face, the words she greets him with are far from what he expected,

"It's you," Her voice, breathless as she stares up at him.

"Uh…" he looks at her quizzically "Yeah, I guess it is."

"I've felt you,"

"Kinky," he comments because he can't pass it up and maybe it'll make her uncomfortable and drop whatever this is and leave "but I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else." He says and steps around her.

"No, whenever something has happened, whenever I'm somewhere I shouldn't be." she pauses and waits until he turns to face her "That guy that kept following me, cornered me at the Grill and I haven't seen him since. Every time I sense you and whatever problem I have either disappears or I find whatever it is that I need on a platter. Literally,"

Damon looks away guiltily at the mention of the guy that ended up in critical care. In his defense, he stopped before he killed him. That had to count for something. She would be proud of him.

"Why?" Bonnie pries when he doesn't deny anything that she's said.

"Well it sounds like you have a Guardian Angel, but it's not me."

Bonnie snorts "That's a different way of saying stalker but okay." She shrugs and reaches for the vanilla bean that the barista sets on the counter once she calls for her name. Raising an eyebrow when the woman personally hands Damon his order.

She lets him get exactly three steps from the door before she's out of the coffee shop and catching up to him, grabbing his arm as she asks,

"Are you in trouble?"

It leaves him taken back. Not so much the question but the concern in her eyes. There's no accusation or concern on whether _he_ is the trouble. But she genuinely seems worried about him.

And that is not good. Not even Stefan seemed concerned for his well being. Simply told him to stay away from Bonnie when his younger brother caught him leaning on the bleachers watching the witch from afar. He's not even sure if Stefan recognized him. It leaves him questioning if their initial encounter even happened because Damon is sure that his brother wouldn't have given him a warning after that night on the bridge. This Stefan isn't bloodthirsty, on an animal only diet. He's on blood bags. The occasional blood bar, bar crawl that serves blood tapped fresh from the vein if he's in the mood for the "warm stuff". As he once called it in his failed attempt at helping his brother with his Ripper tendencies. And if Stefan could keep up with him when off human blood and actually invested in one of their fights, Damon doesn't think he wants to find out what this Stefan would do without blood relation being a factor.

"I'm not," he finally answers when she stares at him in waiting "I'm just looking after a friend."

"A friend?" Bonnie repeats making it clear that she doesn't buy it until he sees a spark in her eyes "Is it Stefan? Is that why you're looking out for us?"

"Who?" He frowns and can only hope that she believes him and hasn't already learned to pick up on his shit.

"When you're ready to tell me why you insist on lurking instead of showing your face, it's needless to say but you know where to find me." She says and begins to walk backwards as she continues to speak. And she's scaring the hell out of him because they're in a parking lot where someone could make the biggest mistake of their lives by backing out or recklessly rounding the corner and hitting her. The hint of a smirk playing on her lips makes him think that she knows and is seeing if she can make him out himself. So he forces the tension in his body to leave but still keeps himself on alert. "If you're worried about me saying anything, you don't have to be. I'll wait until you're ready." And with that she turns back around and goes to her car. Honking her horn twice as she passes him and pulls out onto the road.

* * *

Both to his surprise and equal lack thereof, she keeps her word.

* * *

She comes to the Grill one night and he braces himself because he's sure that she's not here alone. She's not the loner or closed off girl he apparently made her. But to his surprise she claims a table and he overhears her citing that she's not meeting anyone and promptly makes her order. Somehow he manages to refrain from commenting that the last thing she needs to eat are chili cheese fries. The aftermath is deadly and it is a cruel punishment that no one should be subjected to. Except for Kai. Definitely Kai. He watches as she hands the menu over to the waitress and her eyes begin a sweep of the room.

This is where he should look away, ease his way out of his seat and leave before she notices him. But he didn't expect this.

Isn't she supposed to be too busy staring at her phone to notice her surroundings?

He tries but he isn't fast enough in looking away. She meets his gaze, blinks once and does another quick sweep of the room before rising and makes eye contact with the waitress who nods when she points to where he's currently frozen in place. Unlike the school faculty she does give him a disapproving look but refrains from saying anything.

"By the look on your face I'm guessing that this isn't you deciding to come and see your friend yet."

"Things have changed too much for her to be happy to see me again."

"So it's a her,"

He closes his eyes and she laughs.

"Aren't you supposed to be off watching Jersey Shore or something?"

"About as much as you are supposed to be far away from someone my age. Yet here we are."

Damon chuckles, he couldn't help it. When someone was right, they were right.

"If you're not going to tell me why you're here or what you want, at least give me something so I don't have to assume the worst."

"You haven't so far, so why start now?"

"Because you're still shadowing me and my friends. I'm not the only one that has noticed you. Give me something to save your life before I can't."

"Let me guess, this Stefan guy thinks I'm sent by his psycho ex girlfriend."

Bonnie doesn't respond.

Damon groans and finishes the last of his burger. Making a point of showing that what's dripping from the patty isn't grease but Bonnie doesn't flinch or grimace. Only stares at him before taking the plate that's placed in front of her by the waitress with a smile and digging in with her fork. He rolls his eyes because it was something she did back when they were in the Prison World. It was a wonder how her taste buds survived.

"No," He replies simply.

"That's all I get?"

"What is it that you're expecting from me?"

"A name at least,"

Damon only looks at her.

"It's only fair, you know mine."

"Damon," he says after several moments of silence "Damon Salvatore,"

He waits for something. A spark, a flash of recognition in her eyes but there's nothing. Only indifference. Maybe distrust. Definitely disbelief.

"Stefan never mentioned having family." She says and it almost sounds like she's testing him.

"If I was related to someone that looked like me, I wouldn't want them to come around." Damon replies with a smirk.

Bonnie smiles in spite of her apprehension "Maybe not, but I don't think that you would care if he did."

"Who sounds like the stalker now?"

"I thought it was Guardian Angel."

"That only works when you look like me." Damon counters, if he keeps this up surely she would go away. Annoyed by how smug he was. But instead she only looks at him, eyes scanning his face.

"I guess it would." She concedes with a soft smile, a slight tint coloring her face.

"Are you…" he narrows his eyes "are you flirting with me?"

"Would it bother you if I said yes?"

"It would bother _you_, if you knew who I really am."

"That doesn't sound like such a bad thing to me."

He waits, waits for the punchline, waits for walls to drop and reveal that he's in some studio in front of five cameras, waits for a comedian turned game show host to come out. Something, _anything_ to prove that this was a joke. But it never comes. So for once he decides to be the reasonable one, because apparently Bonnie isn't going to.

"I...I have to go." he stammers as he retrieves his wallet from the inside pocket of his leather jacket and rises from his chair "I have this thing that I need to do that I'm going to be late for if I don't leave now." He rambles missing the look between amusement and confusion on Bonnie's face. Placing a hundred dollar bill under his plate to cover his bill and leaves without looking back, but is painfully aware of her eyes trained on him and the melodic laugh that he's only heard once before. When she had jumped into his arms and he hugged her close upon her return from the Prison World. The parallel gives him pause before he shakes his head.

Nope, they absolutely had nothing to do with the other.


	2. Chapter 2

"This isn't what it looks like, I swear."

It's the most cliche thing to say but it's the truth. Because despite what the blood covering him and the now lifeless body of the girl at his feet implies. This was not him. Yet it does nothing to convince Stefan as the vampire's response is to create a makeshift stake out of the bark of a nearby tree. He can't say that he blames Stefan, had the situation been reversed he would have the same reaction. Save the stake being uncomfortably close to his heart. From the murderous glint in his little brother's eyes as Stefan begins to walk towards him, the only thing stopping that from being his reality is the voice calling after the green eyed vampire.

"Stefan?"

And Damon closes his eyes because of course she would choose this moment to show up. So he tries to brace himself for the inevitable. She would have seen through him eventually, why not speed things up before she allowed herself to wrongfully let him in? This would be what would put a stop to it. Distance would be good. He does his best work from the shadows.

"Over here," Stefan calls back, eyes still on Damon as if daring him to leave or make a move.

"Damon, hey," Bonnie addresses him once she comes into the clearing.

But why did he expect her to make the right choice when it came to him?

"I'm standing over a dead body and that's what you say?"

"Well I know it wasn't you." Bonnie says and drops down to her knees beside Vicki Donovan's disturbingly still form. He looks back to the girl he sent to a premature grave as Bonnie's words settle in his mind, he thinks that maybe there were some things that were bound to happen, him being the cause behind it or not. In truth, he hadn't cared much to watch after Vicki, thinking it was best to stay away from anyone whose life he had had a part in ending directly but now he's rethinking everything. While Sybil's intention was to make him see that everyone was better off without him, he's beginning to see this as his do over. He could make everything right. But first,

"How?" Both Stefan and Damon ask at the same time, exchanging a glance.

"It was Katherine, I saw her compel Vicki and Matt." she reveals looking to Stefan "You went after Matt but that's what Katherine was expecting. Damon was simply a wrong place, wrong time. As long as he didn't give her any of his blood, she'll be fine."

Damon balks at her then looks to Vicki's hand which Bonnie has taken between her own and spots the Gilbert ring and lets out a breath.

"Stefan, can you get her home? Matt is probably freaking out right now."

"And leave you with him?"

"Stef," Bonnie looks at him and Stefan sighs, settling for glaring at Damon, the warning in Stefan's eyes getting through loud and clear as he lifts Vicki into his arms and walks away.

"About the other night," Bonnie begins "if I made you uncomfortable. I'm sorry, sometimes I can come off a little strong and as much as I hate to admit it. I can get things wrong."

"You're apologizing for flirting with me?" He asks unsure whether to be offended or relieved at her apology. It should probably be the latter but he found the prospect of the former shamefully appealing.

"No, I'm apologizing for making you uncomfortable."

Damon sighs "You didn't make me uncomfortable, I'm just not used to someone like you flirting with me."

"Someone like me," Bonnie echoes, lowering her eyes "right,"

"No," Damon grimaces, realizing how that could be interpreted "That's not what I meant. I just...usually I'm the one going after someone who's out of my league. It's just weird having them come on to me."

The twitch of her lips makes him regret his choice of words of assurance. It was a mistake. But not one that brings feelings of regret. How could it be one when it leads to a smile that could break his heart if he ever became the reason it never happened again?

"So why don't you fix that?" Bonnie challenges and grins at the stunned look on his face.

Just as the first time she made her intentions clear he waits for something, maybe a sign to dissuade or keep him from answering altogether. And even though none comes he forces himself to try to find a way to let her down easy. Or at least that's what his rational side was intending to do until she once again lowers her eyes. Clearly taking his prolonged silence as another rejection going by the dejected look clouding her face.

"What are your thoughts on pancakes?" He asks despite his better judgement.

Emerald eyes flit to meet his waiting gaze and she only responds when he looks at her expectantly,

"They taste like cardboard covered with syrup." She answers.

"That's because you've never had mine." He declares despite that having been exactly what she said word for word about his back in the prison world. This time he does regret his words as he realizes what they could have been implying. Though she doesn't give him the chance to take them back.

"I hope that you can deliver on that."

* * *

It's a joke, a cruel joke. Sybil had to be tapping into deep rooted fears, his own worst case scenarios and forcing him to live through them because Bonnie would _never_ and neither would he. Bonnie is his best friend. The Robin to his Batman. The Louise to his Thelma. The Bonnie to his Clyde…

He stills and shakes his head to dismiss that last duo. It had nothing to do with the romantic side of the relationship between the characters, and all to do with that simply being the shared name and the partner in crime aspect. Which is exactly what he and Bonnie had become.

The moment he found a way out of this hell Sybil created, he and Bonnie were going to end her.

Well that was if Bonnie cared to. The last time they spoke, they weren't exactly on the best of terms. She hated him and he was doing everything in his power to put a stop to that. Pleading for her to see the reasoning behind his actions as he did and forgive him. After all that was one of the many of her talents and she was relentless at how she tried to make him do the same. The only time that she strayed from her little mantra was circa Kai. He would never admit it but he couldn't help how good it felt at Bonnie seeing the good in him and refusing to do the same for the former leader of the Gemini Coven. Not caring for Kai's constant pleas and borderline obsessive need for Bonnie to do the same for him.

Despite seeing first hand how everyone really was better off without him. How they would be thriving without him being a part of their lives. He couldn't help but wish that it wasn't the case. He knew he could be a pain but surely his presence had to have done some good in their lives. He had more part in the success within their group than the failures even if he had had a part in what went wrong to begin with. As time passed, he noticed small inconsistencies. He had to comb through events and hold up a magnifying glass to them to see them but they were still there nonetheless.

As different as this world seemed, the similarities were equal to the ones in his; Katherine leading his brother to his transition. Stefan saving Elena, watching her afterwards to make sure that he hadn't saved his ex before becoming a part of her life and those surrounding the brunette by extension. The tomb vampires coming into play, though this was due to Anna being relentless in reuniting with her mother. Katherine only showing her face once the tomb vampires—save Pearl who abruptly skipped town with Anna in tow—were no longer in play. His ex lingering and trying to break Stefan and Elena up in between making arrangements for her freedom.

But at the same time, this world...it made his head spin.

Stefan wasn't a ripper. No need for a sober sponsor in the form of an unassuming blonde that would happily set fire to the world if he came to them with so much as a hair out of place. He was light, a warmth in his eyes that didn't flash a constant warning that he could slip at any moment if tempted too much. Damon couldn't make one dig at this version of his little brother's forehead. Though from his watchings on how Stefan dealt with past attempts on Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and more recently Vicki, it was clear that there was still a faint trace of his brother's little alter ego that could make an appearance on himself if he kept pushing his luck.

Caroline wasn't the driving force succeeding where Bonnie and Elena didn't. She grew confident in who she was, owned and embraced her faults. Learned that not everything would go her way and sulked about her misfortunes for a reasonable amount of time before simply deciding to not allow herself to do so any longer. The blonde had a healthy relationship with her parents; speaking freely with Liz, staying with her father during breaks. Practically kidnapping Bonnie and Elena to his villa to keep her company in his absence.

Bonnie wasn't afraid of her own shadow or terrified of the prospect of stepping out from Elena and Caroline's. She didn't shy away from what she wanted. Whether it was choosing what to do and what not to do with her magick. Of which she had been exposed to at an early age as opposed to all of sudden having her whole world turned upside down. To relationships outside of their little Scooby Gang that if up to Damon would start and end with himself. Her parents were divorced and while Bonnie still primarily lived with Rudy, the occasional prolonged stay with Sheila. Here, Abby didn't ditch her family and Rudy wasn't an absentee father. Sheila's health was declining in her age, but Bonnie had her family helping her through it. Unbeknownst to Bonnie, Sheila making both Abby and Elena promise her to not let Bonnie go off the deep end when her time on this plane had run its course.

Elena never lost her parents, making Jenna go from the cool aunt to instant pseudo mother of two teenagers as Miranda and Grayson Gilbert didn't lose their lives on the bridge that night. She learned of her adoption from them and handled it as best as she could when she learned of her biological parents. Who Elena had no interest in meeting. But as Damon couldn't help his curiosity in knowing what they were like here, he went and found out for himself. Johnathan for his part was still a bonafide dick, while Isobel had never been turned. Living a life with Alaric Saltzman, just as interested and bordering on obsessed with the supernatural as she was. The happily married couple taking up on teaching a joint occult studies class left unattended in Sheila's retirement.

Jeremy practically had a pencil glued to his hand. Constantly hunched over his sketchbook filled with drawings that weren't entirely terrible. He had partaken in a few puffs and passes with the other art freaks. Indulged in the occasional shitty beer at parties but he never went past that. He crossed paths with Vicki due to them being socially adjacent because of their siblings' past relationship but he never chased after Vicki in her downward spiral that was nonexistent in this world.

The Donovans weren't the picture perfect family but Matt and Vicki had a healthy living environment. Their mother wasn't the one of dreams but she wasn't a complete mess either. Kelly worked crazy hours at the hospital as an RN. And here, Damon could actually put a face to the man that was their father. Peter Maxwell working as a well known journalist in D.C.. Hard press pass to the White House and all. The Quarterback had unintentionally moved on from Elena to Blondie as they helped the other through the polite but slightly ego bruising shutdowns from both Elena and Stefan respectively. Vicki was taking classes at the local community college, working part time at the Grill to pay her own expenses. Helping Matt with his studies and secretly filming him playing football, sending tapes to talent scouts. Pretending to be surprised when he came to her with letters from various interests.

Tyler Lockwood wasn't a little asshole unknowingly following in his father's footsteps. His grades weren't stellar but he was trying. He had his moments but mainly kept himself under control due to constant check ins from Mason. Who made a point of watching his nephew from the shadows to make sure he hadn't slipped. Always on Richard and Carol about telling Tyler of his true nature who consistently brushed him off. Their reasoning being how it wasn't something that a teenager should be burdened with. While Damon could see their point, he also had to side with Mason on that front. The werewolf curse didn't care much for technicalities. Giving someone one cup to many and he would be breaking every bone in his body every full moon for the rest of his life.

Save being the one to turn Isobel, Damon couldn't have possibly had a role in any of those. Chalking each of those differences up to yet another sick play of Sybil's digging through what had to be lying around in those involved misplaced blames on his presence. At that theory he finds the possibility of that being the case reminiscent to knives tearing through his flesh. The more potent of which being Stefan and Bonnie. He's both self aware and man enough to admit that he's done more harm than good to them but having to face the reality of them truly being better off without him. Coupled with the mere thought of them blaming him for this not being their own reality hurt.

Throughout the pain of the realization he couldn't help but wonder where his brother was, how Bonnie was holding up, what they were doing. Had they noticed his absence? And if they did, did they even care? He had just saved them and despite their efforts to the contrary they would always try to do the same for him.

...Right?

The doubt along with the plausible possibility of Bonnie and Stefan truly being done with him this time, gets to him so he does what he does best. Crawl into a bottle and ignore his problems.

He's just finished his third bottle of top shelf brown, when his brother comes and sends him head first into sobriety that he was an inch away from beginning to lose with three simple words.

"She's off limits."

The understatement of the century. Bonnie was the embodiment of "look but don't touch" except looking was something he didn't allow himself to do for very long either. All things pertaining to Elena Gilbert aside she was his best friend. His only friend, really.

Did that make him make it clear to her that whatever it was that they would do would be strictly platonic that night in the woods?

Nope. And he wasn't sure that he would be in any rush to do so either.

"You have no idea how right you are about that." Damon replies through a chuckle, appreciative of the fact that Stefan wasn't going to ease into things. Though equally wary of the fact that Stefan was getting straight to his point. His brother was always one for being tactful and giving someone the benefit of the doubt before going all in. Maybe his presence did serve some good after all. There was always one good cop to the bad but to be fair his brother had given him somewhat of a warning. Not much but still.

"I don't have family." Stefan continues.

There's no malice in Stefan's voice yet Damon still chokes up at that. The last time Stefan uttered those words were a little after Stefan found out that Elena had officially slipped out of Stefan's bed and into his own. In truth, back then it hadn't hurt as much as he thinks it should have. Elena finally seeing him was enough to ease what should have felt like a stake to his heart. But here and now...

"I'm an only child. So was my father and so was my mother. I had no cousins. Through my death, my line ended with me. Completely out of my hands."

"Well that's not true." Damon calls him out.

Stefan looks at him, surprise clear on his face.

"Vampirism," Damon begins and the surprise fades and he wonders what he's missed out on "it's your choice. From choosing to drink blood during your transition period. To deciding against a walk in the sunlight, picking a fight with an older vampire, encountering the wrong witch. You did none of that and have yet to do so. The cause of the transition is irrelevant, there is and always will be a choice."

"I meant that I did not get the choice in growing old for it to not be the case. I wished to marry. I wanted children. If you really were family you would know that about me. I chose to transition because I didn't want to die alone. My father was not a good man but not even in my mother's death did he betray his vows. I am a vampire because he killed me and tried to finish the job because he wanted no son that disgraced his name and what he stood for. My vampirism is to spite him in his death. I'm still his son, just not what he wanted me to become."

"Fair enough," Damon concedes wanting the conversation to end just as much as he needs for it to be done with the witch digging her heels in whenever he tries to remove her from his mind.

"She smelled of you." Stefan says as if picking up on his thoughts "It made it easy for you to be tracked. I don't know what kind of game you're playing or who sent you, but" Stefan pauses "this is the last time I'm going to ask you to stay away from her."

"Klaus Mikaelson,"

"What?" Stefan frowns.

"That's who Katherine is running from. She needs Elena, a vampire and a werewolf. A Bennett witch will sweeten the deal. The Lockwoods are werewolves. Speaking of which; Mason is the one who Katherine has her claws in, not me. Vicki, Matt, Jeremy and Caroline are up for grabs for the vampire just to spite you for your choice in women."

"And you know this, how?"

"Not important," Damon waves Stefan's question off "What is important is vervain, you need to build a tolerance to it. And while you are at that, start stocking up on wolfsbane. The sun and moon curse is a load of shit. As for Bonnie, I'm not asking for your permission because I do not need it. Anything regarding Bonnie other than which spells you offer up as a _suggestion_ is not up for debate. Bonnie is mine to worry about, Elena is yours. Because you know as much as I do that you'd choose Elena over Bonnie without a second of hesitation. When I'm sure of Bonnie's safety...that's when I'll leave but not until then. As long as you reek of your girlfriend, Bonnie smelling of me, or anyone else, is none of your business." Damon turns to get off of the barstool but stops before his feet touch the floor "One more thing, Elijah is not to be trusted. Under no circumstance, because he will choose Klaus. In the end, the loyal one of _brothers_" the divot of Stefan's brow makes him realize his mistake and he can only hope that Stefan comes to the conclusion of it being Elijah and Klaus "always do. And if you do nothing else of what I've told you, do not listen to Katherine and John about a dagger, or anything other than what they will share about Klaus. But hold off on letting your psycho ex that you know about Klaus for as long as you can."

"Why should I trust anything you say?"

"You never will, but as long as Bonnie smells of me. You'll play ball. They never give us the choice but to go along with their ride." Damon grins and pats Stefan's shoulder twice before making his way towards the exit.

"Boarding House, two o'clock." Stefan says, making his step falter "I don't need to write the address down for you, do I?"

Damon chuckles then continues his stride towards the door. Another thing he can find comfort in.

Stefan had always had him beat in many areas but humor and wit were not among them.

* * *

Apparently this world was not done with throwing him curveballs and while this was probably the one thing he should have expected because this was undeniably his fault. But in his defense, there was no trace of them until this very moment. It had to be a flicker in Sybil's spell, she had to have scrambled at the last minute because this completely redacted Stefan's declaration from the night before. Because instead of Stefan standing on the other side of the door to greet him upon his arrival right on the dot of his brother's requested time. It's his estranged nephew that opens the door, addressing him with a smile that is undeserving for his eyes. One that grows when a woman with deep brown skin, warm brown eyes and raven hued hair falling down her shoulders in soft waves appears at his side. A smile of her own gracing her features when Zach gently pulls her towards him and presses his lips to her cheek. Afterwards returning his attention to Damon who is unable to do anything but stare back at the couple wide eyed, color drained from his face and feeling as if he can't breathe.

"Are you okay?" Zach questions, concern clear in his eyes that Damon knows that he does not deserve after all that he's done to him.

He can hear a tantalizing laugh taint the air around him that is obviously only meant for his ears as neither Zach or Gail seemed to have heard it. His answer dying on his lips when a voice belonging to the woman he wants nothing more than to see burn repeats his nephew's question in his ear as if standing right beside him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Damon chokes out "Just a bout of deja vu."

Gail nods as if she truly understands then steps to the side as she welcomes him inside of her home. And he's left staring his biggest regret in the face. Unarguably the worst thing he's ever done but just as Zach and Gail, she smiles at him nonetheless.

Yeah, with Bonnie's aide or not. He would be sending Sybil to the depths of hell where she so clearly belonged.

* * *

**A/N: Not much Bamon here but I really just wanted to get more of the setting and placement of this story out there. If that makes any sense. I didn't want there to be any confusion as to where the characters are here and why the characters are so OOC, so yes this is basically a filler to get everything out there in the open. And to show why Damon is about to do some of the things that he's about to do and why he's okay with it. Because my dude is about to go completely into the grey area of morality in this fic. If you are new here, Stefonnie is what I mainly write for so if they bleed into the story my bad but this is definitely a Bamon fic. No love triangle. Any other questions or concerns feel free to let me know. I'm always open to honest feedback because I'm aware that my writing isn't always on the mark. Sorry for the rambling and thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

He has not been a good person.

It's not the first time this has occurred to him. But walking into a room filled with people who you had either murdered in cold blood or committed at least one act of violence that they did nothing to deserve, leaves little to no room for any other thought. And when they all stare back at you with looks of varying disinterest. While your mind has become the battleground of a war between running away and never looking back and giving them the decency of an apology—just because they don't know what it's for doesn't mean they shouldn't receive one. He's starting to wonder what exactly it was that he expected this day to be like. On some level he had to have known that it wouldn't have just been Stefan, Bonnie, Elena and himself sitting at a table. Breaking bread as they listened to his attempt at explaining what was going on and hold out hope that they didn't exchange a collective glance before sending him on his way, unanimously agreeing to never acknowledge him again.

But he didn't expect this kind of turnout. As everyone—with the exception of the Mikaelsons—that had rolled into town since he and Stefan's homecoming from the Martin family to Atticus Shane were all in attendance. Back in his world meetings were strictly the A-Team. Everyone else got the recap of what was discussed delivered to them by those in attendance if they were needed. After being face to face with the family he had single handedly destroyed, Damon thought that he'd be able to take anything Sybil would throw at him. Yet seeing everyone who he had committed one atrocity or another to all at once was unsettling. As he now realized that somewhere down the line he had actually managed to care about a select few in some way or another.

Because he sure as hell didn't expect to miss Caroline as much as the way he'd perked up when she walked into the room has implied he has. After all that he has done to the blonde he knows that if there's anyone that isn't stressing about his absence. Anyone that he shouldn't be angry or hurt about their uncaring or indifference to his presence, it's Caroline Forbes. He couldn't even say that he'd blame her if she were off popping bottles in a presidential suite on the Las Vegas Strip behind everyone's back in celebration of his abrupt disappearance. And yet when he sees her, the way she takes one look at him—a twist of her lips as she gives him a courtesy glance—before looking away as if he's just another passerby...it's a knife to his chest just as well.

Elena however, he finds is an entirely different story when their eyes meet for the first time.

He wouldn't say he expected a simple lock of their gaze to set everything right, undo whatever it is that Sybil's done. Damon can't even say if he expected fireworks, for her to drop everything, run and jump into his arms, cling to him and kiss him like her life depended on it. Tell him how much she's missed him. Hell, it didn't even happen the last time they were in a similar situation when they had actually had something. But when she only looks at him, head tilted as she gives him a thorough once over before looking to Bonnie and leaning into his witch commenting a simple "He's cute,". Her heartbeat doing nothing to contradict her words. Not even the slightest of a change, at least until she turns to Stefan as his brother nears her. It doesn't affect him nor does it hurt him as much as he thought it would—and did once upon a time. He couldn't help but wonder if their reunion in his world would share the same effect. But in his world, their reunion would mean Bonnie's death. And what's to be happy about that? The loss of his best friend leading to the reunion with the love of his life. The more thought he gave to his reality, the more he was finding it to be increasingly difficult to look forward to Elena's return. And to an extent his own. Should he really be in this much of a hurry to get back to his world?

Damon puts a stop to that train of thought. After all his one track mindedness for his girlfriend currently sleeping her life away was how he ended up in this mess in the first place. At least here—whatever, _wherever_ "here" was—he could see the both of them together at once. They weren't his but from what he was seeing of them, was that really a bad thing? Sure, they didn't know him, but they were in his life at the same time. There was no looking at one and mourning the loss of the other. Elena would never look to him to fill him in on Bonnie's life, he would never have to see the sadness in her eyes as she listened to all that she missed out on. All that she should never have had to. He would never have to hear the way Bonnie's breath hitched at the mere mention of Elena. Never have to see the fear mixed with resignation on her face if it ever came to a moment where she was put in a position where her life was in his hands. Never have to feel that soul crushing guilt if his hesitation made the decision for him.

He allows himself one final look at everyone. His eyes lingering on Bonnie where she stands at Elena's side, committing every detail of her appearance to his memory, then turns to look to his brother. Ready to tell Stefan how this was all a big misunderstanding. Some last minute information had come through revealing that he had mistook him for someone else. Apologize for his mistake and for wasting everyone's time and leave just as he should have once he saw how well off everyone was without him in the first place. But four words put a stop to him doing so.

"Hey, I know you,"

Three of which being words that he gave up on hearing, and of course they came when he had just grown to be at the very least at peace with it. He lets his eyes close and takes a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to go back. Maybe Sybil had finally given up or at the very least merely had the intention to make him realize just how much no one needs him. He was doing everyone a favor if he just gave in and did as she asked. Or with any hope just open his eyes to find himself back in the prison world. This all having simply been some lucid drawn out fever dream he's had. A byproduct of Kai having grown bored of spiking his bourbon with vervain, spiteful pain inflictions, and veered out to infiltrating his subconscious. But the voice goes on and Damon is forced to give up on that even being a viable option. Reluctantly opening his eyes and listens with increasing disdain as they voice his mistake.

"This is the guy that snapped Anna's neck when she was going to use me to feed Pearl." Jeremy continues "He tried to compel me to leave and forget I saw him but I guess he didn't pick up the vervain bracelet."

Damon shifts in his seat when everyone sets their gaze on him. The word "Guilty" is on the tip of his tongue but he knows that it wouldn't bode well. So he merely lifts his shoulders in acknowledgment of Jeremy's accusation. Knowing better than to deny it, and it might even win him a few points in their favor.

"Why are you helping us?" Tyler speaks up and the air is snuffed out of Damon's lungs. The werewolf was literally the last person that would ever consider Damon to have been of any help in his life back where Damon came from. Damon had killed the one person that had been looking out for Tyler and that could have been of any help to Tyler upon triggering his curse. Even in Mason's afterlife, he was only looking out for his nephew. Sybil was really doing a number on him. At this rate Damon doesn't know if he'll even be able to function if he does make it out of this.

"I owe you," Damon responds after a long stretch of silence.

"You don't even know us." Matt's voice rings out.

Damon snorts at that.

"Actually, this is the vampire that's been stalking us for the past few months. So he knows us more than we want or need him to." Stefan remarks dryly leading to a simultaneous "What?" from the occupants of the room save Bonnie and Damon aside from himself.

"Okay," Caroline frowns being the first to recover "even if that is true, it still doesn't explain why he "owes us"." she points out then turns back to Damon "Who are you?"

"Damon,"

Caroline perks up then turns to Bonnie mouthing "That's him?" to which Bonnie rolls her eyes and delivers a swift elbow to Elena's ribs when the brunette eagerly nods in their friend's silence. The witch glaring at the blonde when she wiggles her eyebrows but relents and shifts her baby blues back to Damon ignoring the amusement on his face at her brief lapse. And he has to admire the way she switches back to her no nonsense demeanor just as quickly as she dropped it. "Okay well I guess that's that then." She shrugs, gaining baffled looks as she seems to resign and have no further questions.

Damon glances at his brother who looks to him at the same time before they both return their attention to the blonde.

Caroline groans "If this is the one stalking Bon, then he's just using us to get in her good…" she trails off "_on _her good side." She finishes her rationale with a wave of her hand.

"That doesn't explain why he thinks he's related to me." Stefan speaks up.

"I'm sorry," Caroline frowns "what?"

"I don't _think_," Damon nearly growls "I know that I am."

"I'd know if I had a brother." Stefan replies, meeting Damon's eyes noting the surprise "Just like you would know that Zach is my descendant."

"I did," Damon admits after regaining his bearings, figuring that that was what he missed the night prior when Stefan appeared taken back.

"You didn't say anything."

"Because I knew you were protecting them."

Stefan scoffs "You say it like I'm hiding them here. They're not exactly a secret."

"I meant how you are protecting them from all of this. People like us don't broadcast that we have living relatives. When others know, they become a weakness. You don't trust me...I get that. I'm not holding it against you. I don't blame you. If you showed up claiming that you were my brother I wouldn't just take it at face value either." Damon pauses "What do you want to know?"

"Where have you been all this time? Why now?"

"Lily didn't want to raise either of Giuseppe's bastards. He didn't bother to make her consider the first." The lie comes easily enough. Afterall it wasn't much of a lie in the first place. Lily never even acknowledged their half brother back in his reality.

"So who turned you?"

"Katherine," Damon answers "It wasn't intentional. I fell off one of the horses while I was trying to impress her. Katherine took pity and gave me enough of her blood to heal me but I was put into what is called a recovery period. I passed in my sleep, and when I woke up, I was this. I fed on a man that stopped to help me and ran when I realized what I had done. I never went back for his body. My mistake is one of the first that led to the revelation of our existence."

"I don't believe that." Caroline remarks after a bout of silence "If you were trying to impress Katherine, she'd know and there's no way that she would just let you go. You would be someone that she kept around. Katherine is many things but careless is not one of them. And neither is sympathetic, she would never just heal someone out of the goodness of her heart."

"Katherine liked her toys, I was only one of many. When a shinier one caught her eye, she dropped me. Because that's what she does."

"Well you sound bitter enough. So never mind." Caroline backs off making a show of raising her hands.

"Yeah, but if that were the case wouldn't he have been following Elena?" Vicki wonders aloud.

"Vick," Matt's voice comes out exasperated despite his sister's point being valid.

"I did," Damon admits nonchalantly "but I got bored. Even if I didn't Stefan was all over that. No need for me to be there too. I'm not here for a repeat of history, I made that mistake one too many times for me to do it again." As he speaks he realizes his mistake but he's too busy, taken back by the truth of his words to care for the hole he's digging.

Caroline's mouth forms an "O" at his rambling and mentally admires both his taste and growth. But one look at Bonnie and Elena shows that she's the only one willing to look past the slight dig at the doppelgänger. As neither look very pleased at his slight and if she could kick Bonnie she would. "Stefan said you know something that can help us." she begins her reprieve for the vampire all the while glaring at both of her friends until they seem to feel the weight of her stare and only looks away from the two once they seem to get her message loud and clear "What exactly is that?"

"Well for one, you didn't actually kill Elijah." Damon begins taking in the looks of disbelief as he goes on "He's one of the Original vampires and they can only be killed with a stake made of white oak. He's laying low until his little brother shows up. Niklaus Mikaelson," he turns to Stefan "Klaus—the one that I told you Katherine is running from—and is going to use Elena, a Lockwood and whichever one of you that Stefan and Elena care enough about for it to be an equal blow to the both of them as a trade off for her freedom. As long as you don't let that happen or believe Elijah when he promises that he'll help you kill Klaus...you'll be fine.

Damon frowns when he doesn't get a verbal response, as they all divide their attention between Bonnie and Luka.

"He's not lying…" Luka is the first to speak.

"About which part?" Stefan questions.

"Anything," Bonnie answers, shaking her head "It was a little in and out around how he turned. He really is your brother. Katherine did turn him but that's not exactly how he transitioned. Some of what he said is true but not how he died. But other than that, he's telling the truth. They're just refusing to tell me how he knows any of this. Or why he's here for me."

Damon stares at the green eyed witch for a moment, perking up at the insulation then groans knowing that she won't exactly be in a rush to help him "Damn it Emily, help me out here."

"She said you first," Bonnie replies, simply staring right back at him to which Damon frowns, and is in front of her in the next breath. Unable to fight the urge to roll his eyes when Stefan swiftly becomes a barrier between them until Bonnie gently pushes his little brother to the side.

"Is she behind this?"

"No but she wishes she thought of it." Bonnie replies mindlessly and blinks as if she were coming out of a haze.

"Damon, what's going on? What is this?" Bonnie asks, looking up at him in a way that's all his…

"Bonnie," He breathes but stills when her eyes flicker from their normal green to brown before her posture changes and she reaches out for him. And everything around him begins to blur. It's as if everything around him begins to lose their shapes and colors as they bleed into one. The carpet beneath his feet disappears and suddenly he's flying backwards. And it all fades to black.

...

When he comes to, he's in the old witches house. A familiar face staring down at him intently and he waits until she nods her head to rise to his feet.

"Damon," Emily Bennett greets him curtly.

"Emily, what-"

"We do not have much time, but I assure you that this is not our doing." she shakes her head as if pleading for him to believe her "Though I must admit, I wish I were the one to have thought of it."

Damon blinks "So it's not real,"

"I would not say that. For this to work, she had to petition to Cade. He called upon witches that have vendettas against you to aid in what Sybil proposed but neither took the reintroduction of Spirit Magick into account."

"Now is not the time for witch lingo, just tell me if this is really happening or if she's just in my head."

Her face is apprehensive before she parts her lips but before she gets a word out, he's left watching as Emily's features warp until he's left to see Sybil beaming back at him. Looking especially pleased with herself.

"What do you think?"

Damon's visage changes and he has her throat in his hand in the next instant "What is this?"

"You showing me how to break you." Sybil replies cooly "Even after all this time you still do not see your precious Elena as your own. I give you the opportunity to stake your claim and instead you choose the witch over her." she pauses and tilts her head "Does she know?"

Damon tightens his grip and pulls her until her feet are off of the floor "Send me back." He snarls.

"You could have her, you know." Sybil lulls, calm as ever "I mean, did you see the look on her face before I brought you here?" A smile graces her face in his silence, but drops as soon as she sees a here and gone look in his eyes that she does not get the time to read. Disregarding it, she raises her hands to the back of his head. The tips of her fingers shift into claws that she forces into the back of his skull, grinning when he cries out. Just as the last time she finds that his mind is like an open book, except the pages are scattered, lines have been crossed out and rewritten. Emotions she hasn't felt and does not care to admit she ever did in the first place and by the time she gets to the last page she almost feels for him. She sifts through his last moments until she pinpoints the perfect place to restart. "Now, let's try this again."

...

"He's not lying." The words sound far away in his ears, his vision hazy as everything begins to come together piece by piece. There's an odd sense of deja vu about it, and yet not at all as it feels as if it's something entirely different. But for the life of him he can't place it.

"About which part?" He places his brother's voice and looks to him seeing that he looks the same as before then to Bonnie as her voice follows suit.

"Anything," Bonnie answers, shaking her head "It was a little in and out around how he turned. He really is your brother. Katherine did turn him but that's not exactly how he transitioned. Some of what he said is true but not how he died. But other than that, he's telling the truth."

"Of course, I'm telling the truth." His response does not feel as one of his own, sounding slightly robotic to his own ears. His eyes roam around the room and something feels...off and despite his protests, his mouth continues to move with a mind of its own. "Why would I lie?"

"Well it's not as if men haven't gone to farther lengths to get a woman's attention."

At the voice Damon stills. The last he had heard that particular timbre when they had been pleading for their life at his hand. But he had to be wrong, as they had no ties here in Mystic Falls. And yet when he finally does gather the nerve to face them he's greeted to the sight of her looking the same as the day he'd last saw of them. Wild untamed curls, red wine colored lips, black necklace, skin navy blue top and all. "Bree," Damon chokes out, staring at his former fling.

"I'm sorry," she looks at him, eyes scanning his face as she utters words that no man wants to hear from someone that they've slept with "have we met?"

"I guess he's been more thorough than he's lead on." Enzo St. John's smooth accented voice drawls, coming to a stop behind where the witch is seated. Hands going to the bare skin of Bree's shoulders, a subtle stake of claim that Damon can't even begin to comprehend. He watches as she raises a hand to cover the top of Enzo's own. The action is so fluid that she doesn't even seem to have realized what she's done, as her curious gaze never once leaves Damon. He begins to look to Stefan for an explanation but before he can do so, another voice rings out and gives him pause.

"Well I say we just kill him and be done with it." Matt chimes in. And Damon can't help but wonder just why this version of the Quarterback wasn't in his world. This one would have been of much more use. Though he supposes that it was a good thing, as Damon is sure that Matt would have just been as cavalier and even more so of a supporter of his death more than this version was.

"No one's killing him." Bonnie states, staring her friend down until Matt deflates and settles for glaring at Damon.

"I don't know Bon," Lexi begins tentatively "Matt has a point. He's already admitted to knowing and being sired by Katherine, that she has a Lockwood in her pocket and he's saying that Elijah is alive and Klaus is coming. How would he know that? Not to mention there's no way of knowing how much he knows about us."

Bonnie looks at Lexi then turns to Stefan exchanging a glance that after a painful beat garners a simple nod from his younger brother. He parts his lips to make a case for himself but before he can even utter a word Bonnie raises her hand, mouthing "I'm sorry," And he's clutching at his head, writhing in his seat as a guttural scream fills the air that only stops when he feels himself beginning to choke on the blood pouring from his mouth. Until he's left with the occasional unwilling jerk of his body. The last thing he sees being Stefan staring down at him before he's hefted into the air over his shoulder. He tries to move but to no avail and he's left with only the unpleasant view of his brother's backside and the dead weight of his hand, in an unappealing dingy grey.

"Where are you taking him?" He makes out Elena's voice over the sound of Stefan's along with another's footsteps.

"My mom's. If we leave now, we should make it in enough time that she'll be able to sift through his mind. See what he knows." Bonnie responds over her shoulder as she and Stefan continue their stride.

"But Bree and Luka…" Elena tries.

"Oh let them do their Bonnie and Clyde thing." Caroline steps in "Do you really want to see anything else after..._that_?"

"No, but I don't think they should be walking out in daylight with a dead body."

"Lena, this is Bonnie and Stefan we're talking about here."

"Yeah," Elena breathes, staring in the direction the two went off to, looking to Lexi who looks just as pensive.

* * *

He wakes with a start, the smell of blood flooding his sense of smell. Blood stained vision slowly focusing until he's left staring at Stefan waving a blood bag in front of his nose. Moving it away when he sees that he's fully come to.

"Nice place," Stefan remarks taking a glance around the loft Damon had claimed for the time being. And despite his little witch being nowhere in sight, Damon doesn't need to ask how he got here. "Now if I give this to you, are you going to behave or are we actually going to have to kill you?"

Damon glares at Stefan then nods his agreement, taking the blood bag and draining it, carelessly tossing it to the side once he's done.

"We?"

"I have no choice but to go along with her ride." Stefan responds with a lift of his shoulders and a slight smile.

"How much time is she giving you?"

"Ten minutes, and then I'll only remember you when she mentions you or when I'm brought here."

Damon makes an appreciative sound at the reveal "You good with that?"

"Safety measure, I can't tell what I don't know and witches can't be compelled."

"She says that you're something different. She can't get into your head, somethings blocking her but she knows that she can trust you." Stefan pauses "I don't, but I do trust her. But if something happens to her...and I mean anything-"

"You won't remember me." Damon smirks.

"No," Stefan concedes "but everyone has a scent." He grins when he spots the unease on Damon's face "This weird claim you think you have over her...I don't care, Bonnie is mine to worry about. I care about her, it would be best if you remembered that."

Damon snorts at the poorly veiled threat to save face but then nods, catching the familiar manic glint he caught in Stefan's eye whenever he spoke of Klaus back when his humanity was in the grey area.

"Okay,"

"Okay,"

* * *

**A/N: In case anyone's wondering why the characters don't really seem fazed or amazed at Damon even knowing about the Originals its because I thought it made no sense that Damon and Stefan never heard of them before the Mikaelsons were officially introduced. If they're the first vampires in existence I felt like that should be kind of a big thing in the Supernatural world and not just some *insert shocked pikachu face* moment for Damon and Stefan since they had already been around for over a century. Not knowing what they look like made sense but not knowing of them at all was always weird to me. So I changed it. The whole group meeting Damon was more for him to be faced with everyone he's wronged, Sybil's way of making everything real for him. But I want Damon to be more faced with Stefan and Bonnie than anyone else and I just love the idea of Bonnie having someone that is just for her. Someone that she'd be able to escape from everything with. If that makes sense? I hope this covered some things or made some sort of sense but if not my inbox is always open. Thank you for reading. **


End file.
